Best Reading Series St. Louis 2009 - St. Louis County Library

In the past year, the St. Louis County Library has booked heavyweights such as Michael Chabon, Daniel Silva, J.A. Jance and Rick Riordan. That last fella, if you didn't know, is the author of young-adult novel sensation The Lightning Thief, and his appearance drew more than a thousand clamoring fans. Granted, not every writer is met with arena-rock crowds, but the library's ongoing author series has no trouble filling seats, thanks to two basic selling points: well-known names and a wide range of genres, from journalists to children's-book authors and every specialty in between. Sometimes they even fill several criteria at once, as with mystery novelist Ridley Pearson, who teams with humor columnist Dave Barry on a series of fantasy-adventure novels for kids. Whether it's the semiannual mystery writers' panel or a local sportswriter's book signing, the St. Louis County Library has established itself as a fixture on this town's literary landscape.